SatTrack User Manual ==================== ====================================================================== Copyright --------- SatTrack is keyware. SatTrack may be freely redistributed without change or modification. It may be freely copied and distributed as long as there is no charge above a nominal fee for media and copying. SatTrack program and program files may not be modified or changed for personal use. Please upload SatTrack, along with all files, to your favorite BBS. No guarantee of any kind is given that the program(s) described in this document are 100% reliable. You are using this material on your own risk. SatTrack should not be modified. SatTrack is provided as key-ware, user registration is available. ====================================================================== Introduction ------------ In recent years, many home computer enthusiasts have become interested in satellite tracking. Most of these trackers are amateur radio operators who are attempting to make two-way radio contact with the NASA Space Shuttle or the Commonwealth of Independent States' space station, MIR. Now, many people are attempting to track satellites to try and make visual contact. The Shuttle can easily be tracked and then seen, on a clear night, given the correct information, and this program. Hundreds of other satellites are orbiting the earth, many are visible during the right conditions of location and the position of the sun. The best viewing times are 1 hour before and after sun rise and sun set. ====================================================================== SatTrack Features ----------------- SatTrack is a full-featured Satellite tracking program which uses mathematical formulas developed a hundred years ago. The program provides the ability to enter the numerical information needed to track any satellite that orbits the Earth. SatTrack can read both standards of satellite input format, as well as allowing for entering and modifying the information interactively. SatTrack allows for multiple databases, each with a capacity of 300 satellites. SatTrack outputs the satellite information in several ways. First it can display the satellite information graphically on the Amiga screen. The display can be saved as an IFF picture for printing and modification using your favorite Amiga painting program (Dpaint, DigiPaint or one several public domain painting programs.) Information on satellites is also able to be written in a text form to a file or printer suitable for report generation or text editors. SatTrack has the ability to simulate the tracking of a satellite from the future or past. This means that you can run SatTrack with a time and date of your chosing, either in the future or in the past. This allows you to quickly generate tracking information for events at other times. ====================================================================== SatTrack also has a mode that alerts the user when satellite(s) of interest are within the range of possible viewing, or radio contact. SatTrack is generally accurate to within about one half of a degree for satellites that have been described up to a year ago. ====================================================================== SatTrack Keyware and Registration Information --------------------------------------------- This program is provided as KEYWARE. If you find the program useful and would like a permanent license, and for information on future updates and enhancements, you may become a registered user by sending your name and address plus $20.00 to the author. (See the registration information file included with this program.) DEMO keys of SatTrack will not track as accurately as registered keys, please beware of this when using DEMO keys. Permission is granted for this software to be posted to bulletin boards, or similar public and private transfer methods, as long as all the files in the archive are kept intact. Please copy it anywhere that other Amiga users can be found. THIS SOFTWARE MUST NOT BE MODIFIED. MODIFICATION CAN RESULT IN INCORRECT TRACKING OF THE SATELLITES. ====================================================================== Getting started..... Where to get information for tracking. -------------------------------------- There are several great places that the needed information can be found to allow for tracking of satellites using this program. Keplerian (Kep for short) data is simply a set of numbers that describe the position of the satellite at a particular time. Below is a list of some places to obtain this data. They are updated weekly and daily for shuttles. 1) An Amateur (ham) Radio Operator. Kep data is broadcast over several different mediums in the amateur community. One is a digital mode of communication call packet radio. If you are a ham radio operator, check with your local club or several good articles in QST magazine. If not, you could contact a local ham club in the area, they will be more than happy to try to help you. 2) Contact NASA/Goddard. NASA provides a BBS that can be dialed up using your computer to obtain Kep information of any unclassified satellite. For more Information contact NASA at: NASA/ Goddard Space Flight Center Project Operations Branch 513 Attn: Orbital Information Group Greenbelt, MD 20771, USA 3) Constant NASA/JSC (Johnson Space Center) at their BBS. To use the BBS, call (713) 483-2500. After connection to the modem, enter via your computer, 62511. This will connect to the BBS and allow you to register. At this writing, usage is free except for the toll of the call. *** UPDATE *** many people have had problems with this BBS *** 5) GEnie, BIX and Compuserve. Users often provide information on current satellites via astronomy or radio BBSs or round-tables. 6) For shuttles, call the WA3NAN Goddard Radio Club at (301) 286-6673 7) The internet telnet address SPACELINE.MSFC.NASA.GOV for shuttle. It can also be reacted by FTP at 192.149.89.61. 8) The Celestial BBS at (513) 427-0674 - 300/1200/2400/4800/9600 Baud, 24 Hrs 8 Data/No Parity/1 Stop ====================================================================== Keyware and License information ------------------------------- SatTrack is provided as KEYWARE. KEYWARE is intended to provide you the best demonstration of the features of the program while still allowing for the support for further development. KEYWARE relies on a set of "keys" in a file that are verified by the program. Each set of keys is specific to the user. This tends to prevent the distribution of the software by licensed users, since the user's name, address and phone number is displayed during the startup of the program. DEMO keys are provided which will work but contain an expiration date. The SatTrack program will not operate after that date. DEMO keys also cause SatTrack to be more and more inaccurate as time goes on. (Registered users receive keys that NEVER expire, will work on ANY new versions and have NO REDUCTION IN ACCURACY over time) If you are interested in obtaining a registered set of keys, order early. A short assessment of KEYWARE is provided: o Full features available, no disabled features in the demo. o Copy protected via the display of the Licensees name and phone number. This tends to make users less likely to "loan" the software to other people when they cannot be sure that they will not in turn "loan" it to other people. Resulting in pirated software with YOUR name on it. Don't loan your license keys to anyone, don't take the risk. o Registered users can get new versions automatically via GEnie, BBS and other telecommunication methods. This assures the registered users' quick bug fixes since the author does not have to mail out copies to all the users. A new version can be installed using original set of registered keys, a registered user can obtain new version SatTrack via any means. o Software key protection can be broken, if you have knowledge of: Keplerian Orbital Mechanics, 68000 machine code, Key technology and any tricks by the author. Amiga users are some of the greatest computer enthusiast in the world, only a certain type person can fully understand the Amiga; a person like you. If you think you are qualified enough to break the protection schema of SatTrack, think about this; The efforts should take several hours at best. The completion of the task is always uncertain. If think you can break in, consider spending your time producing a useful contribution to the Amiga. If you need ideas, give me a call, I have many. I don't have the time to produce them all, maybe you can! CAUTION: attempting to change the keys or the address information will cause the program to abort or change several geographical or physical values resulting in incorrect tracking. DEMO keys will cause the program to become less accurate as time goes on. Consider becoming a registered user. ====================================================================== License information ORDER INFORMATION: ------------------ There are two options when registering for permanent personalized keys. Personalized keys are all that you need to operate SatTrack. The SatTrack software will recognize that your new keys are permanent and enable all the features and accuracy required for tracking. Registration is $20 USA. Include your name, address and phone number along with registration fees to: Randy Stackhouse 4 Sinclair Cir. Indialantic, Fla USA. 32903 You will receive via US mail, information on how to install the keys that are also provided. Addresses and phone numbers must be verifiable. Include unlisted numbers, they will not be resold or released. Optionally, include your GEnie, BIX or Compuserve address or fax number. If possible I will send the keys to you via these modes since they are usually faster than regular mail. If you wish the most recent version of SatTrack, send a total of 30$ US. This assures you the latest version of SatTrack and all needed files, including your personalized keys all delivered on a disk. If you are outside of the United States, you must consider and include any extra postage required for delivery of your registration information. Include any special mailing instructions that are required for outside of the US. Remember that a registered user will receive keys that never expire and will work on all future versions of SatTrack, regardless of the version. ====================================================================== Features -------- SatTrack is the most full featured satellite tracking program for the Amiga. It tracks up to 300 satellites and allows for a graphic display containing the entire world. The display also includes text information on any satellites in the data base. ====================================================================== Display(s) ---------- SatTrack is fully compatible to Amiga graphics. All maps can be edited using any Amiga paint program. This allows the user to tailor the map to the desired color or include drawing information of interest. Colors can be edited using any IFF paint program such as DigiPaint or Deluxe Paint. Two sets of colors are possible. One set describes the colors for screen display and one set is described for file saving. SatTrack allows the user to choose from three world views. Each view is centered about a different position on the earth to allows the user to view the world with the area of interest in the center of the screen. Displays can be saved at user request to an IFF file. This file can be edited by a paint program to add the desired graphical and text information desired before printing. ====================================================================== Kep Editing ----------- Satellite tracking actually requires very little information. Satellite orbits can be described with only 11 numbers. These numbers describe the position of the satellite at a specific time. SatTrack can edit and process the information to calculate the expected position of the satellite at the present time or some time in the future. SatTrack provides several methods of entering the satellite information. Users can input the data manually via Amiga Windows or by downloading the information from a file in one of two standard formats. ====================================================================== QTH (Your Location) Editing --------------------------- SatTrack allows input of the user's geographic location. This location is used to provide details about the satellite relative to your position. The editing of your location also accepts information about the offset in hours from Greenwich Mean Time (also called Universal Coordinate Time, or ZULU time). All times output by SatTrack are presented in the users local time. Users that desire to use GMT may enter an offset of zero. ====================================================================== Time Editing ------------ SatTrack has two tracking modes, called Real-time and Simulation. The Real-time mode provides tracking of the satellite at its current position based on the Amiga clock. During real-time tracking, the user can control the speed at which each satellite is displayed. This control allows for better viewing of the text information on the display. Simulation mode allows the user to select the starting time and ending time for tracking. The times selected can be any time of interest as chosen by the user. During simulation mode, the user can also select the interval that each satellite text is displayed as well as indicating the amount of time SatTrack should increment. This control allows for faster tracking of a satellite. ====================================================================== Flashs and Beeps --------------- SatTrack provides an alarm function. The alarm function will beep or flash the display when a satellite is within visible view of your location. This feature can be used to help the user realized when the satellite that is being tracked can be seen or communicated with.